Calgary Folk Club: Daniel Champagne, and Dry Bones

Calgary Folk Club

Dry Bones, 

with Daniel Champagne

Check out the pictures from last night's Folk Club, as visit the Calgary Herald Blogs section to read my review!!

What a night!

80's Solid Gold @ Stage West Calgary

Stage West Calgary

"'80's Solid Gold"

Featuring Andrew Ball, Amber Bissonnette, Katie Beetham, A.J. Bridel, Jay Davis, Joel Gomez, Jennifer Kee, Jeremy LaPalme, Andrew McGillivray, Nikki Ponte, Brent Thiessen

Directed and choreographed by Timothy French

Courtesy Stage West Calgary

The Friday Morning "Somebody-Asked-Me-To, So-Here-I-Go" Theatre Review"

Stage West Calgary's 

"'80's Solid Gold"

What a decade the '80's were for music! While Country Crossover, AM radio pop hits, Disco and Classic Rock dominated the '70's, the decade that followed introduced us to brand-new styles that expanded those catalogues, and introduced us to New Wave, Punk, Funk, Heavy Metal and more in the process. 

Sure, some of those started to emerge a bit towards the end of the '70's, but as a mobile DJ in my second decade back then, it was amazing to see not only how much these new styles made dancing more fun to watch from behind the MC table (remember The Worm, or Rock Lobster?), but how long these artists would go on to remain popular for their fans. 

Stage West has taken on the unenviable task of trying to contain the multitude of hit makers of the day, and after the conclusion of '80's Solid Gold, I think if you're still a fan of that decade, you'll be pretty impressed with what they have included.

From icons like Billy Joel and Elton John, to Madonna and George Michael, most notables are in the program, and to hit high points they may have missed, there's a terrific "Crazy '80's Mash Up In 80 Seconds", that tries to fill in the blanks. The cast also lets the cat out of the bag regarding a sequel, as there really are that many pop artists and bands that deserve a revisit.

Courtesy Stage West Calgary

Great care has been taken to instill the styles and feel of this very visual era (it was the birth of the music video age, after all), and yet not go over the top with the costumes. There's also a prevailing sense of fun as the cast gets to relay that they are poking fun as much as they are paying tribute. On that, it is important to note that these revues aren't ever really tribute acts. Many of the hits get made over, while some are startlingly close to the original. 

You have to attend just to see when the cast will lose it over John Oates moustache, not the least likely perhaps Joel Gomez who portrays him. 

There's plenty of standouts, especially in the second half which really strengthens on the power so many of these cast members bring to the party.  However, I believe I will hold back just a bit for my official Calgary Herald review, which I will post a link to here when that has run and is also live online.

In the meantime, don't hesitate to check this revue out - there are some misses among the hits, but by the end there's plenty of highlights, an abundance of great fun and memories - plus you'll get some related history lessons between the songs.

4 out of 5 stars.

Also, check out my pre-show interview with co-creator, director and choreographer Timothy French to see him discuss how he chooses his casts - he's made great choices with this one.

Click here to watch that!

Later...

Ask & Ye Shall Receive

If you happen to be wearing a ski mask when you ask, you're likely to receive much quicker...

Later!

Staring At A Blank Page

Oh, pardon me!

I did say I was staring at a blank page, didn't I?

Move along, nothing to see here today....

Later!

Interview and Feature Posted, Fawlty Towers!

In the spirit of overachieving - three days, three columns for my Calgary Herald blog space.

Check out my pre-show interview with Steve Hansen Smythe, who reprises his role as harried hotelier Basil Fawlty here. 

That's it for a while folks - for my Herald blog posts anyway.

Until the weekend, then all bets are off.

Enjoy!

Later...

Folk Club Update, and a New Personal Record!

Daniel Champagne

This weekend, I hit a new personal best - three podcasts edited and loaded, three newspaper blog pieces written, and a magazine feature I need to edit down tonight.

I still have another interview to transcribe, but I can say with certainty I've never hit that sort of production, but when it's all on deadline, you can get awfully motivated to produce!

Two pieces have already appeared, the third Herald blog will be live tomorrow morning.

This is #2, appearing today:

Daniel Champagne, Dry Bones for my Calgary Herald blog.

Enjoy!

Later....

Director, Choreographer, Co-Creator - "80's Solid Gold"

Sat down recently with the creative force behind the latest Stage West Calgary show - which will revive the biggest hits of the 80's of the next few months.

Here's a link to our chat, and my Calgary Herald blog

Enjoy!

Later...

Chicken Scratch

(posted by weekend guest blogger and hair restoration expert Charles D. Chicken...)

Yes sir, as yer fizzishion, ah kin cleerly see that mah treetment is gittin' tree-mendous results - yah gotsa wild mane comin' out on top heer! Flowin' like a avalanche!! 

BUK-AAAAWK!!!!  

Ah can't explane why yew can't see it in yer mirror - mebbe yer lightin' is bad??

Have yew seen yer eye doctor lately??

BUK-AAAAWK!!!!

It is very thin, which would explane why yew can't feel it neither. Or seem ta feel it when yer brushin'.... 

Yes, ah'm a professional medical doctor, so ah just suppose ah know more than yew do - yew'll just have to trust me!

BUK-AAAAWK!!!!

Honestly, yew look just like Fabio with them long, flowin' locks - Delilah will try tah steel yer powers, yew Samsony devil!!

Yessir, mah work here is done.

Make yer cheque out to Charles D. Chicken, MHD.

Huh??

Oh, Medical Hair Docter...

Thanks!

Cluck fer now - I gotta head tah tha bank straights away!

BUK-AAAAWK!!!! 

Frank E. Valley & The Four Seasons

Introducing:

Paprika!

Shallot!

Garlic!

and...

Chives!

(Wonder why he stopped at only four, and none all that exotic, when you think about it...well, who am I to judge? Pass the salt shaker, please.)

Later!

Hairy Podder & The Blood-Red Cherry

Do you think it would be obvious to JK Rowling if "someone" started a series about a young British wizard and his friends, working their way through magic school despite challenges from various dark forces?

Asking for a friend...

Later!

The Snowflakes Of November.

Well, we are usually up to our ears in snow by October here in Canada, but we got a bit of a break this year. However, the snow and cold temperatures have now arrived. If you believe the media, it is another "polar vortex". In reality, it's a "Holy #@*!, Close The Freezer Door" spell.

It's gonna be a looooong winter if it stays like this.

Maybe those exploding Mars rockets ain't such a bad option after all.

Later!

The Annual Day Of Reflection

We call it different things here in Canada and down in the States, but this is becoming a bit of a tradition every year here in this space.

It ran earlier in my weekly newspaper column (on Remembrance Day of that year), and in my national column back in November 2012.

Here's my own reflection on Remembrance Day.

Take time out today to respect those that gave all for their country.

Later...

Like Grain Through The Hourglass Of Time

My hourglass is seriously plugged up, ever since I switched from sand to grain. I should have at least shucked the wheat first, as those long stems seem to be the culprit...

Later!!

Chicken Scratch

(posted by weekend guest blogger Charlie Chicken...)

Good mornin', Laydees an Gennel Men!!

Today, tha great Cluckini will attempt ta break outta a chained box, while handcuffed inside, an wearin' a strafe jacket!!

BUK-AAAAWK!!!! 

Ah will need COMPLETE silince, laydees an gennel men - complete silince! This ill ooshun demands iron-willed focus, and will completely blow yer mind, as ah removes tha constrainers that hold me prizoner. 

An I wud like ta take this opportoonity ta thank Mrs. That Dan Guy, fer suggestin' mah magic debut with this trick!!

BUK-AAAAWK!!!!

An now, drum roll pleez, ladees an gennel men - Tha Great Cluckini asks his lovely assistant ta start that clock, as he attempts ta blow yer mind!!!

Uhh....Lovely Assistant?

Laydees an gennelmen??

Hello??

Aww, cluck.........

HELLO!!!!!!??????!!!!!

ANYONE???

BUK-AAAAWK!!!!

Should there be air holes in this crate????

ANYONE OUT THERE????

BUK-AAAAWK!!!!

Hey, who forgot ta pack mah paper clip and picklock?????

THA WALLS IS CAVIN' IN!!!!

HELP!!!!!!!!

BUK-AAAAWK!!!!

BUK-AAAAWK!!!!

Cluck fer now, I gotta chew mah way out!!!!

Calgary Folk Club Showcases Canadians

Indian City

No big surprise, it was another great night for live music, with acts from my hometown of Winnipeg, and a singer/songwriter out of rural Alberta. 

Great new discoveries, and if you click on the link to my Calgary Herald blog this morning, you'll get to see the review of the show, and have access to their own sites, as well as the interview and podcasts I held with Vince Fontaine & Matt Patershuk before the show.

Click here to view that!

Here's a few more pics from the night:

Later!

Chicken Noodle Soup

I have recently looked very hard at the anatomy of a chicken, and I have had no luck with discovering what a chicken's "noodle" might be.

Why do we eat something that is clearly a fabrication of marketers?

Have a good Friday, y'all...

Later!

Hi Ho, Silver Dollar!

The Canadian dollar (loonies, appropriately named most times) is currently plummeting, right in time for winter and the recurring Canadian desire to GET THE HELL OUT OF CANADA!!!

Ahem, my apologies - I'm not sure what came over me there...

What I hoped to relay was that right about the time that we might like to take a vacation to a warmer climate, before our 4.5 foot tall cars are covered in 14.5 feet of snow, our currency is about as valuable as a metal washer with a hole punched in the middle. Even if we held up a 7-11, we couldn't procure enough cash from the till to make the gas purchase to get there worth the while.

It is a scenario that seems to unfold every few years. Once, ever so briefly, our dollar was worth more than our well-off neighbours to the south of us. It still pretty much traded at par for some reason, but technically, it was worth more.

Now, a dollar here will buy you a Kraft noodle or two, certainly not the entire lavish dinner promised on grocery store shelves.

All we can do is wait it out, it will climb once again.

I just have to hope my igloo has enough seal meat to get me through the hard, unforgiving Canadian winter...

Later!!

This Weekend, Live Canadian Folk Music!

Indian City

Visit the Calgary Herald blogs today to read my preview and interviews with Vince Fontaine (Indian City) and Matt Patershuk. Based on our chats, it's going to be another amazing evening of music at the Calgary Folk Club!

Visit this link to read the piece!

Matt Patershuk

Enjoy!

Later...

Start Spreading The News

Before you begin to polish your shoes or boots, spread a newspaper along the floor, so as not to stain your carpet or linoleum.

You may also substitute a large strip of wax paper, an unrolled length of wrapping paper, your husband's bowling shirt, a map of the city of Toronto, a large flattened cardboard box, a small non-religious shroud, several metres of tattered fabric, an old raincoat, a dishtowel you would otherwise use while camping, a length of unattached wooden board, or a decommissioned ironing board.

If you use your imagination, there may be even more options.

Happy polishing!

Later...

A Tale As Old As Time...

Courtesy Liffey Players Drama Society

Persecution. Stigma. Different rules for men and for women - Liffey Players Drama Society offers a gut-punch in their latest production, and you cannot leave without feeling the effect of the slug.

My review is here. If you're in the Calgary area, it's a must-see...

Later...

Moving Into Recovery Mode...

Well, the tooth extraction saga is steering towards the conclusion - pretty good by all respects. Considering the extensiveness of the surgery, I am finally starting to feel like all the parts are where they need to be to head towards long-term recovery.

The first while, I was bleeding like a soda fountain. It took 4 tea bags to help clot the wound, they recommend two before you are suggested to call the on-call surgeon. Which we did - twice!

Then we had the dangling participle - a clump of raw meat that I really felt should have been stitched to something above it. The first night, it did shrink, and yesterday it just came off - so all I can feel right now in the abyss is stitches and a blechy taste. Which is what I believe is normal at this stage.

It will be FOUR weeks before I can start to have solid food again! FOUR weeks!!!
I'll be gumming more pasta this month than an octogenarian Italian in a long-term care home....

Today, I'm going to quit icing the cheek, and try to wean myself off the pain killers. I'll miss those furry little Wiffles that hung around chatting with me during the last couple of days, but if I do feel like I need one or two, you can be damned sure I will help myself.

For now, I think the worst is over....

Later!!!

Chicken Scratch

(posted by weekend guest blogger Charlie Chicken...)

Ahhh....

Hello Mr Fox??

My, what lovely eyes ya got...

Kin ya tell me who ya see fer an optomotrist??

BUK-AAAAWK!!!!

Ah wuz juss about ta head back ta mah coop, so...see yah!!

This right - stay right there and growl...thass a good boy...

BUK-AAAAWK!!!!

Hey - look over there!!

It's a rabbit!!!

BUK-AAAAWK!!!!

Adios, fur-face, ah'm outta hear!!!

Cluck fer now!

Make way!!! Chicken on that run!!!! 

Bonus Post! My Latest REM Column...

Just noticed that my latest REM column is now live here.

Enjoy!

Later!!

The Tooth, The Hole Tooth, And Whatever Else Is Connected To The Tooth...

I'm goin' down today. Under sedation, for my emergency oral surgery.

I'm hoping this resolves a recurring infection that keep coming back year after year, and this last time, nastier than ever.

Of course, I could have had extensive restoration work, and spent between $5-8,000.00 to have a 50/50 chance of success, only to have it yanked in the end anyway. Not being able to use that as collateral with my bank, or rent out the restored tooth to miniature tenants, I opted to bring in the pliers and whiskey instead.

I'll let you know how that worked out for me....

Later!!

Irish Play Set For The Weekend

The fine folks at Liffey Players Drama Society are set to open their production of Eclipsed, by Irish playwright Patricia Burke Brogan Saturday night. On the surface, it looks like pretty heavy material, but I understand there are some light moments as well.

Here's my conversation with the director - click here!

Enjoy!

Almost the weekend!!

Later...

Ch-ch-ch-changes

What is it they say?

Change is inevitable, especially if you pay with a really large bill??

Looks like change is in they wind yet again. Not quite sure what that's going to look like, but I think I'm just going to be proactive and start the process on my own. I've recently revived a site that I had started and abandoned, but I think I'm going to start using that particular one for specific writing I'll be doing. Hopefully that will make site visitors have a more consistent experience when they land, expecting one thing and finding another.

Cryptic?

Sorry - until all the cards are played in this hand, it is a bit of a solitaire game...

Later!!!

PreSale Announcement - Warm Up Your Credit Cards!!

Some big concert news for Calgary - a chance to see a major Canadian artist in an intimate, solo acoustic setting at the Cowboys Dance Hall.

Alt rocker Matthew Good is set to announce tickets for his upcoming performance there November 25th. I hope to have more info, and perhaps something even more exciting soon. 

I last saw Mr. Good live at the Alberta Flood Aid concert, where he performed a short but stellar set (read my brief recap here).

StubHub is set to announce the line up for its Next Stage concert series later this morning (10:00 AM EDT), but I wanted to give you all the heads up early. There are shows scheduled in Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver. StubHub is bringing Matthew Good here to Calgary for a solo acoustic set at Cowboys Dance Hall on Nov. 25. 

Here's the release:

STUBHUB TAKES MUSIC TO THE “NEXT STAGE” BRINGING A THREE-DATE CONCERT SERIES TO CANADA SHOWCASING POPULAR CANADIAN MUSICIANS

Tickets Available Thursday, 10/30, for Shows Featuring USS (Ubiquitous Synergy Seeker) in Toronto and Matthew Good in Calgary and Vancouver at the end of November

CALGARY, AB (October 28, 2014) – StubHub, today announced a continuation of its highly successful music initiative – StubHub’s Next Stage Concert Series – to discover and support emerging artists while giving exclusive access to the true music fan.  

Next Stage will debut in Canada at the end of November.  The three-date concert series will showcase Canadian musicians in intimate venues, featuring USS in Toronto, ON, on November 17th at the Mod Club and a solo acoustic show with Matthew Good in Calgary, AB, on November 25th at Cowboys Dance Hall and in Vancouver, BC, on November 27th at RIO Theatre.  

Tickets are on-sale this Thursday, October 30 for all three shows for only $30 each at www.stubhub.com at 10 a.m. in each respective time zone. 

This is going to be a great night, and it's hard to get into Cowboys even without an act like Good to see. 

Act fast!!

Later!!

There's A Kind Of Hush...

The kind of "hush!" that librarians used to use when you got too noisy in the hallowed halls of the library.

There's also a kind of hush that your mother may have used. There may have been any number of reasons for that one...

We cannot forget about the hush that makes some puppies very, very quiet...

I don't think it's politically correct anymore to say "hush yo mouth" - but that technically could just fall under the mother-husher category.

So, there are kinds of hush. Probably many more than my own examples...

Later!

Chicken Scratch

(posted by weekend guest blogger Charlie Chicken...)

Mah fellow chickinz...

Ah first wanna start by thankin' olive yew fer attendin' this sold-out event ah'm hostin'.

Ah hope that yew kin take away even juss a few purls ah wisdom from this event!

BUK-AAAAWK!!!!  

Thang Q...Thang Q...

Please holl yer applause...

Now, ah will begin mah presentation on that "Superiority Uv Tha Male Chicken" now...

Hey!

Sit back down!!

COME BACK HEER!!

BUK-AAAAWK!!!!

AH GOTS THINGS TA SAY!!!!!!!!

BUK-AAAAWK!!!!

GET BACK HERE!!!

Aww, cluck me...

Cluck fer now...

Calgary Folk Club: Dala & Tom Phillips

Way late to get out to another commmitment.

Please click here for my review

Later!

Tonight - Calgary Folk Club - Roots & Harmonies!

Sorry, you've been bombarded by this already if you follow me on Facebook and Twitter, but such is the world of social media...

Check out my Calgary Herald blog today, for details on tonight's show at The Calgary Folk Club!

Later!!

The Cat's In The Cradle

And oddly enough, the baby's curled up on a rug in front of the fireplace.

This doesn't seem to be right....

Later!

Until The Twelfth Of Never

And that's a long, long time.

Longer even than the Eleventh and Tenth of Never. But not quite a long as the Thirteenth of Never.

Feels like it during Daylight Savings Time though...

Later!!

Heavingly Evening.

On the plus side, I did sleep for a few hours last night.

On the less plus side, I awoke to extended physical illness, otherwise known in polite circles as "heaving".

Sweating like a yak right now. However, surgery set for next week, and I believe my meds are finally kicking in.

(Hope you've had your breakfast before you read this post...)

Later.

Yowie...

Day Three of throbbing pain. Spent almost three hours in a walk-in clinic yesterday to get meds with training wheels. I've now got an emergency appointment with my dentist to either get real relief, or proper medications to deliver that.

Not great timing, as my dance card is pretty full right now.

Nertz...

Later!

Today's Calgary Herald Blog - Frost/Nixon

It's a piece of TV history that seems just as relevant today - the clash between interviewer David Frost and former President Richard Nixon - along with the backstory and lead-up to that event.

Done very well here with Calgary's Scorpio Theatre, I recommend taking it in if you're in the area!  

Click here to view my review!

Enjoy!

Later...

Jack The Ripper review, now online!

What happens when you leave the ending of a play in the hands of the audience?

Well, it didn't fail for last night's performance of "Jack The Ripper Monster of Whitechapel" over at Calgary's Workshop Theatre.

Read my review here live now in my Calgary Herald blog!

Enjoy...

Later!

Flawtography, Episode #023

Flawtography, Episode #023

Neil Young

I snapped this picture of the legendary Neil Young when he performed here in Calgary a few years back. An amazing show, by the way. Plenty of old favourites, but all kinds of surprises and unexpected musical home runs as well. The man is something to see. Which you clearly can in my picture above...

He was back through the city not too long ago in a far more intimate setting, but I wasn't able to get to that concert. If he's ever out your way, don't hesitate to snap up tickets. Or snap a picture, that you can treasure forever, like mine.

Later! 

Social Media, and/or Technology Will Be The Death Of Me..

Awoke to some technical problems - what else is new?

My iPhone Twitter account appeared to have disappeared. Still seems to be here on my main computer though.

I'll get it sorted out, but for now, I had to post my morning silliness straight to FaceBook. I suppose the moral of the story is, I will survive.

Although at first, I was afraid. I was petrified. Now I'm just weary...

Later!

It's OK To Come Out Now, Mr. Turkey!

Canadian Thanksgiving is behind us now, so all you turkeys hiding behind trees, or dressed up with black glasses and bushy moustaches can relax for now - the Americans won't be looking to invite you into their homes for a few more weeks yet!

That's right, you can go back to riding the bus, reading a newspaper on a park bench, gardening - whatever it is you liked to do before the carnage began here. Hey, a turkey's got as much right to roam around as freely as us big dumb humans - am I right??

Hey, as long as you're out of the shadows again, do you mind sampling these here cranberries? I just need to know if they're still good - no reason really...

Did you lose some weight while you were in hiding???

Here, have a couple of bowls of this Stove Top Stuffing - it'll fill you right up!

Later...

My Latest Calgary Herald Blog - Laughs With Jack The Ripper

Courtesy Workshop Theatre

OK, I can appreciate that serial killers may not be the most appropriate source material for a comedy, but hey - I didn't write it!

I just interviewed the director of Workshop Theatre's upcoming show at Calgary's Pumphouse Theatre:

Jeremy Mackenzie Interview

Give it a look! If you're in the area, check it out for yourself.

Later!

Save The Whales!

We did have some leftover whale after our BBQ last night, so I have saved some whale for sandwiches later this week.

Later!

Chicken Scratch

(posted by weekend guest blogger Charlie Chicken...)

Well, ya see...

Ah needed a photocopy...

Uhh....

Ah just needed one lil photocopy...

BUK-AAAAWK!!!!

Soooo....

Ah wuz climbin' up on this here chair, an...

My claws gave way!

Sumthin' slickery, or not grabby enough...

BUK-AAAAWK!!!!

How ah ended up with mah head in here iz anybody's guess...

Ah sappoz ah must been flappin' mah chicken wings fer stahbilitee??

Anyhew...

HELP!!!!!

Yeah, give a berd a break - thanks!

Cluck fer now...

Vishten & Jeffery Straker - A Night In Pictures

An incredible night of talented Canadians onstage last night. You can read my review here, but herein I also present "An Evening In Pictures".

Enjoy!

Later...

My Maserati Does 185.

Who wrote that headline?

I don't have a Maserati, and even if I did, it wouldn't go 185! I'd lose my license! I wouldn't drive!!

Sheesh - I sure hope people don't see that post title and think I'm making some kind of statement about the life of a freelance writer - my beater Volvo does 18.5......

Maseratis...what the doodles....

Later!

Sorry about the duplications...

If you follow me on Facebook and Twitter, I apologize in advance for the onslaught of music postings today. It is the nature of the publishing industry now that I must be shameless in my shilling, so please look away briefly if you're adverse to repeated broadcasts:

Today, my Calgary Herald blog - Winnipeg's Sweet Alibi.

Check it out. If I haven't already sent you running away form the overkill...

Thanks!

Later...

Jack & Jill Went Up The Hill...

....to fetch  a pail of water?

What a pair of morons!

The stream is at the BOTTOM of the hill!!

There's nothing but a few trees and some sprouts of grass on the top of the hill - even the mountain goats have given up on the effort there...

Humans....

Later.

I've Got A Lovely Bunch Of Coconuts.

Need a hammer....

Later!

My Calgary Herald Blog - Two Wildly Diverse Canadian Music Acts...

Yesterday I "soft-launched" my latest couple of features, podcast interviews with a couple of exciting, accomplished Canadian musicians. I had also loaded a YouTube version of one of the interviews.

This morning, I clicked "Publish" on the actual Calgary Herald feature that connects all those dots, which you can read here.

Vishten is an Acadian folk rock band that powers traditional sounds of the East Coast along with a wide variety of instruments and dancing. Their career has taken them around the world, and gained them a number of awards.

Jeffery Straker is a classically-trained pianist whose own sounds have been compared to Rufus Wainwright, Elton John, Sarah Slean and more. In my chat with him, he talks about appearing on South American television, to audiences of over 100 MILLION people, representing Canada. Incidentally, he won that competition.

Check all that out - and if you're in the Calgary area, come see them perform live this Friday, October 10th.

Later!!

Flying The New Money-Friendly Skies

Our two major Canadian carriers are now moving forward with plans to charge passengers for the privilege of actually travelling with luggage - apparently those unwashed, self-entitled bastard passengers think they should be able to do that for free - can you imagine??

So, Air Canada and WestJet are joining major American airlines in overcharging not only for the flights, but now for daring to bring a change of clothes along for their two-week vacations.

TImes are good right now for major industries, memories, not so much. When the recession hit a few years, seat sales were prevalent, and customer service a top priority. You could fly, for example, from The Northwest Territories to a remote island in the South Pacific for under a couple of hundred dollars, while dining on the free inflight meal of steak and lobster - for under $300!

Now, try flying to a city less than an hour's drive by car - I hope you have a good mortgage broker in your Rolodex...

I imagine I can't really make a responsible blanket statement about customer service for all airlines, but when the service agent makes you do a limbo under a gate with spikes to board the plane with your luggage, I think they aren't being totally upfront about how little they want you to be carrying luggage...

The term "cash-grab" has certainly been bandied about since this decision was made. They aren't doing themselves justice in the positive marketing department by announcing the new uniforms they'll be adopting in conjunction with this new strategy - masks and small calibre pistols, and a handwritten note to "hand over your money"...

Flying the new money-friendly skies. Come, experience what bank tellers have been dealing with since the days of Jesse James - and hey - make sure your wallet is FILLED!!

Later...